These 20 Canadian intersections are like Michael Bay movies: they draw big crowds, they're filled with crashes, and everyone leaves unhappy.

When it comes to accidents, intersections are like Michael Bay movies: they draw big crowds; they're filled with crashes, bangs, and booms; and nearly everyone leaves unhappy.

I examined a cross-section of national and provincial accident statistics from between 2002 and 2004, and it revealed that approximately 800 people were killed and 8,000 more injured each year at Canadian intersections. That accounts for 30 per cent of vehicle deaths and more than 40 per cent of serious vehicle injuries.

Put these factors into play in a highly-populated urban locale and you’re just asking for an accident--more than one in five intersection deaths and serious injuries happen between the rush hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Transportation officials are quick to point out that "worst intersection" lists should be taken with a grain of salt because they remove agency and responsibility from drivers. And while it's true that drivers are what kill and maim other drivers, the vehicles, conditions, and roadways also play a significant role. Some 40 per cent of drivers in serious or fatal intersection crashes were judged to have broken the rules of the road, whether by failing to signal or speeding.